Privacy Policy
AskMartin is operated by Laboratoire Couleur Universel Inc. (“we,” “us”), a company registered in Brossard, Québec, Canada, which is responsible for the personal information described here (the “controller” where that term applies). This Privacy Policy explains what we collect when you use the Site, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights.
Privacy Officer. Our Privacy Officer is responsible for the protection of personal information at Laboratoire Couleur Universel Inc. For any privacy question, or to exercise your rights, contact: . We respond within 30 days.
1. What we collect
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| First name and email | To identify your submission and send you an answer |
| Voice recording | The question you submit |
| Transcript of the recording | To read, analyze, and respond to your question |
| Approximate location (country, region, city) derived from your IP address, and your device timezone | To understand where questions come from, in aggregate |
| Traffic-source tags (how you arrived at the Site) | To understand which channels bring visitors, in aggregate |
| Submission timestamp and consent record (which boxes you ticked, when, and which version of the Terms and this Policy you saw) | To operate the service and keep a record of your agreement |
Location. We derive your approximate location from your IP address when you submit, using our hosting provider’s built-in geolocation. It is used only internally, in aggregate, to understand where questions come from, and is not published. If you prefer not to share it, you can use a VPN, or ask us to delete your submission (see “Your rights”).
2. How we use it
- To transcribe, review, analyze, and respond to your question. Automated AI tools and cloud automation assist with transcription, triage, metadata analysis, and drafting; Martin reviews every answer before it is sent.
- To create, edit, and publish content based on selected submissions, as described in our Terms of Use and only with the publication permission you give when submitting.
- To understand, in aggregate, where and what people are asking.
- To contact you with a response where appropriate.
3. Legal basis
We process your information to provide the service you’ve requested - receiving, transcribing, and answering your question (performance of a contract, where the EU/UK GDPR applies). We publish selected submissions on the basis of your consent, given via the optional publication checkbox when you submit, which you can withdraw at any time (see “Your rights”). Aggregate statistics rely on our legitimate interest in understanding our audience.
4. Who processes your data (third parties)
We use trusted third-party service providers to run the platform. Your data may be processed by providers in the following categories:
- Hosting, database, and file storage - to run the service and store your recording and details. Your submission data is stored in Canada (Montréal).
- Website delivery and bot protection - to serve the site, route your submission securely, and screen out automated abuse.
- Workflow automation - to move your submission through transcription, review, and response. This provider's cloud is based in the European Union.
- Speech-to-text transcription - to convert your recording into text.
- Automated AI tools - to triage your question and help draft the response. These providers receive the transcript only, without your name or email, and do not use it to train their models.
- Email delivery and inbox hosting - to send you a response and to receive messages you email us.
These providers act on our behalf under written data processing agreements and are only permitted to use your data to provide their service to us. We do not sell your personal information. You can request the specific list of providers we currently use by emailing .
5. Where your information goes
Your submission is stored primarily in Canada (Montréal), and emails you send us are received in Canada. To process your submission, some data and metadata are also handled by service providers located in the United States (transcription, AI processing, outbound email, and website delivery) and the European Union (workflow automation). Before working with any provider outside Québec, we assess whether your information will be adequately protected, and we put contractual safeguards in place with each provider - including, where the EU/UK GDPR applies, Standard Contractual Clauses or reliance on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework for certified providers.
6. How long we keep it
We keep your personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, and we destroy or anonymize it when it is no longer required. If you do not opt in to public content use, your raw audio recording is automatically deleted from our storage within 30 days. If you opt in, your recording and the details tied to published content are kept while that content remains in use. We keep a record of your consent for as long as we need it to show your agreement. Anonymous, aggregate statistics may be kept indefinitely. You can ask us to delete your submission at any time (see “Your rights”).
7. Your rights
Withdraw your consent or remove your submission, at any time. You can withdraw the publication permission, or ask us to remove your submission entirely, whenever you want. Email us at with the subject line “Withdrawal request,” and include the first name and email address you used when you recorded, roughly when you sent it, and whether you want us to stop using it in content, delete it completely, or both. We will confirm and act on your request, and we respond within 30 days.
Access, correct, or delete your information. You can also ask us what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct anything that is wrong, or ask us to delete it. Email the same address, , and include the first name and email you used so we can find your record. We respond within 30 days.
A note on published content. If you withdraw consent after your submission has been published, we will stop creating new content from it and make reasonable efforts to remove or de-identify content under our control, but we may be unable to remove copies already shared or downloaded by others.
If you are not satisfied. If you have contacted us and believe we have not handled your information properly, you can raise it with a privacy regulator. In Québec, that is the Commission d’accès à l’information. If you are in the EU or UK, you can lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
8. Children
The Site is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect information from minors. If we learn that a submission came from someone under 18, we delete it.
9. Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a confidentiality incident presents a risk of serious injury, we will notify the affected individuals and the Commission d’accès à l’information as required by law.
10. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The “last updated” date and version number above reflect the latest version.
11. Contact
Privacy questions, deletion requests, or consent withdrawal: our Privacy Officer, .